Simplicity Of Communication Should Be The Most Desired Aspect

Kirit JAsani

If you are able to keep your communication simple, without a doubt, it will be well understood by the target audience. But, it seems this simple rule is not being understood by many advertisers and authorities. Let me take you through one interesting example!

Have you ever travelled from Surat to Ahmedabad using Baroda Express Highway? With the development of infrastructure, entry from Baroda side to Ahmedabad has witnessed a dramatic change in looks. The moment you reach this entry point; you will find a flyover and a straight road. The obvious question arises to most of the travelers is which one leads to Ahmedabad? So, highway authority has marked both the roads with their names. One road direction is marked as NH-48 and another as NE-1.

This is the junction where most of the time you will find a car standing and a driver is looking for help to decode these abbreviations NH-48 and NE-1. He needs to know, which road leads to Ahmedabad? The majority of the times there is hardly anyone to help, especially at night. Now, many people may say that drivers are expected to have basic knowledge about routes and such abbreviation. Absolutely right, but here we are discussing the simplicity of communication. Further, as per the old numbering NH-48 was running in an entire state of Karnataka and not in Gujarat. As per new numbering now Karnataka road, from Mangaluru to Bengaluru, is identified as NH-75.

Now assume, sign boards at Baroda Express Highway entry points are replaced as Ahmedabad and Delhi instead of NE-1 and NH-48 respectively or Ahmedabad Express instead of NE-1 and Ahmedabad National Highway instead of NH-48. Will it confuse any driver? I think no. If your purpose is to help the travelers choose the right direction without compromising on speed and passing from any difficulties; marking both the roads with city name is a better idea. Simplicity makes it work!

So, whether you are developing a signage, a poster, a brochure, a hoarding, a website banner, an e-commerce portal or any other form of communication ensure, it’s easy to understand. If it’s not simple enough, certainly it will not work the way creator has expected.

Advertising Insights by Kirit JAsani

Kirit JAsani

If something is easy to reach, we tend to use it frequently. That is true with information also. In past 7 months, I have shared information with you on branding and advertising by writing various topics on my blog. I hope; this information would have been of some help to you. However, it is quite possible, for some reasons you may not get connected to my blog precisely when you want to refer a particular post. So, I have prepared a PDF mini book of past 12 posts. Just download it and keep in your PC or iBooks and refer it as and when required.

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TOTAL VISITS OF THIS PAGE

Following 12 points are covered in this PDF mini book.

1. How to use customer testimonial in ad?
2. The power of simple visual
3. What if your brand name is inspired by a product subcategory?
4. Demonstrate your key feature visually
5. Perceived leader is always winner
6. How long you should continue with same visual?
7. Should PR precede advertisement?
8. Is a good brief reason of good work?
9. It’s Shockvertising!
10. In Marketing Perception is everything
11. The critical decision in marketing, line-extension or new brand launch
12. Marketing lesson in RSS’ move from shorts to trousers

 

In Marketing, Perception is Everything

Kirit JAsani

We experience the world around us with one or more of the five senses, which includes touch, sight, sound, taste and smell. Through these sensory experiences we gain knowledge of various elements in our environment and at the same time those experiences also help in deciding on response action. Essentially, these experiences build perception and we act on those perceptions. So, for a marketer these perceptions are of prime importance.

Let’s explore perception of three brands of soap. Dettol, this brand of Reckitt Benckiser is mostly used to clean and protect your skin from germs. Unilever’s Lifebuoy also stands on the same attribute of advance germ protection. On the other hand Wipro’s Santoor brand is focused on younger looking skin with its sandalwood and turmeric ingredients.
So, as a customer when we start using Dettol or Lifebuoy soap we develop an experience on the parameter of germ protection, but when we use Santoor soap our experience remains focused on younger looking skin. If this experience is good customer would continue with the brand and if the experience is bad the brand will be no more in consideration of future buying.

Now, all these brands have extended into the segment of hand wash. So let’s first understand why hand wash is important? Washing hands with soap and clean water is of critical importance to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Especially washing hands before any meal is extremely necessary in India, because at least to eat roti it is necessary to touch it by hands. This is exact moment when a germ can enter your body and chances of getting sick get increased.

Now, based on a perception, which brand of hand wash you would buy? Obviously the one which kills germs, right! It can be Dettol Hand Wash or Lifebuoy Hand Wash or any other brand which you think can give you germ-free skin. But the probability of using a brand of hand wash, which promises you younger-looking skin, is extremely thin. Though the brand has not been extended in a too distant segment, I still doubt on the acceptability. A product can enter a house due to promotional benefits, but they are short term. I am no astrologer to predict a future of any brand, but broadly based on perception, I can say the brand which holds a strong perception of Germ Protection or Germ Killing will get succeeded. Let’s wait and watch what happens in a long run!

Remember, create a strong perception about an attribute in your marketing and do not extend such a brand in a segment where that attribute is not making practical sense.

It’s shockvertising!

Kirit JAsani

Broadly, an element of shock helps in differentiating your communication. In major cases, it also makes the communication more memorable and grabs immediate attention. But shock is not an easy element to deal with.

If shock is a dominating factor in your advertising than your ads can fall in shock advertising or shockvertising category. By definition it means, ‘deliberately, rather than inadvertently, startles and offends its audience by violating norms for social values and personal ideals’. So, if an ad disregards a tradition, intentionally challenges social or moral code, displays images or words that are horrifying, terrifying, or repulsive it should be seen as shock advertisement.

Heavy use of shockvertising is observed in public policy, service, health and cause segments. Here ads are designed to grab attention and create a buzz so awareness of a particular issue becomes a point of focus and it can cut through the clutter of messages. One such public issue is noise pollution resulting from ever increasing vehicle traffic and excessive honking. To address this issue, somewhere in May 2015, 93.5 Red FM in association with the Mumbai Traffic Police launched a campaign ‘Don’t be horny’. Under this initiative Radio Jockeys (RJs) from Red FM talked and discussed various aspects of noise pollution, especially the problem of honking on Mumbai streets with all the listeners, traffic authorities and doctors. In the month of June 2015, Lions Club Thane in association with Thane Traffic Police replicated the same campaign in Thane. Towards the end of 2015, Ahmedabad witnessed many pole kiosks with message ‘DON’T BE HORNY’.

Good initiative! But I am sure this headline must have put many parents and elder members of family in an awkward situation, when being asked by their kids, what is horny? Primarily horny is used for its vulgar meaning of feeling great sexual desire. In no way, it means to make a loud noise using vehicle horn or excessive use of horn or a person who uses a horn beyond a reasonable limit.

Further, perceptual defense becomes of prime importance here. Perceptual defense is the tendency for people to protect themselves against ideas, objects or situations that are threatening or disturbing. This means, if a consumer finds a certain kind of advertising content threatening or disturbing, that message will be filtered out. In many cases, an acronym of French Connection United Kingdom – FCUK is observed as offensive or disturbing; the same way horny might be considered as disturbing by many. For this reason the message ‘don’t be horny’ may get filtered out.

Therefore, be extra conscious, if your communication contains an element of shock. Also don’t use shockvertising too frequently considering its long-term effect on brand.

Is a good brief reason of good work?

Kirit JAsani

Yes, no doubt about that. You dig a little in any good communication piece and soon you will know there was a good brief, a clear brief from the client. But that is only one side of the coin; the other side is equally important, how agency worked on that particular brief.

The level of clarity in brief, most of the time gets reflected in the work. But, still from no brief to ambiguous brief incidences keep on surfacing. I believe, when a client shares a clear brief and agency acts on that brief, the resulting work would be very impactful. In another way, this justifies famous words of David Ogilvy, ‘Clients get advertising they deserve’.

Majority of those, who are responsible to give brief understand the importance of clarity in brief. But when Spotlight Communication was working with Italia Group, I found Mr. Nandan Deshpande (then brand manage) was exceptionally good in giving a clear brief. His brief for creative always intended to result in a piece of communication, which can connect the target audience in a correct sense. While working on Piccolo Porcelain Mosaic, Mr. Nandan briefed our agency for one campaign targeted to architects and Interior designers. He was clear; Architects and Interior Designers always need freedom in creation. We have 70 colours, 5 sizes and 2 looks in Piccolo Porcelain Mosaic. Essentially we offer a wide choice. If the campaign can connect this freedom with choice of colours we can expect a good result. It was a crystal clear brief.

Now, that was our turn to come out with a creation which stays true to the brief. We proposed a campaign with a line ‘More Colours More Freedom’. In this campaign all creatives were developed in black-white treatment, except the colour in core visual. Visuals were selected, which are normally seen in black-white e.g. Penguin. We changed the white part of Penguin with various colours and associated it with the headline More Colours More Freedom! This solution stayed on brief and worked for the client. I must say such an effective campaign would have not been realized without a clear brief by Mr.Nandan Deshpande.

 

So, if you are in a position to give brief, be damn clear in your brief. If you are expected to work on a brief, justify the brief in totality.